Venue:

Blithfield Sailing Club, Rugeley, WS15 3DU 

Date:

29 January 2026

Time:

1900 - 2130

Description:

Join us for an evening with the RYA Midlands team hosted by Ben Hodgson at Blithfield Sailing Club, to share valuable insights and take away practical tools to strengthen your activities for the future. 

Open to all RYA-affiliated clubs, classes and organisations, these free 2½ -hour workshops will begin at 7pm with a short plenary session full of the latest updates. Next, attendees will explore one of the following topics before a group wrap up at the end of the session.  

Building a Development Plan That Works Today and Tomorrow -  
A strong development plan is the foundation for long-term success. Learn how to set clear aspirations and objectives based on a deep understanding of your organisation. We’ll introduce tools and approaches to help you create or refresh your plan, so members and volunteers can work together toward a shared vision. 

Shaping Your Membership Offer for Growth and Retention – 
High membership churn can hold back growth and may signal that members aren’t finding the value they expect. This session will help you uncover insights and practical tools to ensure your membership offer is compelling and attractive to a broad audience and builds a culture that makes staying the easy choice. Leave with actionable ideas to help your club retain members year after year. 

Light refreshments will be available throughout the event, such as tea, coffee and biscuits.   

Do come along with more than one representative from your organisation, where possible, to make the most of the opportunities provided.  

The majority of our venues are accessible. However, if you have any specific requirements, please let us know when booking. 

If you have any questions in the meantime, please get in touch by contacting Ben Hodgson, ben.hodgson@rya.org.uk 

Regardless of which region your organisation is based in, you are welcome to join any of our RYA Connected Workshops. Take a look at the other regional overviews or the RYA Events page  

We look forward to seeing you!